Tag Archives: History

By David Thompson, Royal Historical Society of Victoria The Lord Mayor lampooned and criticised for questionable electioneering tactics! No, not 2018, we have stepped back in time 167 years. The Lord Mayor was John Thomas Smith, known as the “Dick Whittington of the South” as he was seven times lord mayor between 1851 and 1864.…

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By Rosemary Cameron, Royal Historical Society of Victoria In 1851 London staged The Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park. Six million people passed through those crystal doors and the event became a defining point of the nineteenth century. Spurred by London’s success, industrial nations competed to showcase their innovative engineering and scientific advances.…

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By Richard Broome, Royal Historical Society of Victoria In November-December the RHSV is gearing up for Christmas. Our bookshop offers many fascinating books on Victorian history which are available online through www.historyvictoria.org.au or by direct purchase from our premises at 239 A’Beckett St. On offer will be many books from the recent Victorian Community History…

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If you lived in Melbourne in 1900, and you wanted to buy a watch, some jewellery, a cutlery set, glassware, or a wedding present, you would most likely have visited Edments’ Melbourne Supply Stores, opposite Myers in Bourke St. The three-storey shop was full of delightful things imported from Britain, America and Europe and it…

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This photograph of ‘The Paper Boy’ was taken in c. 1860. The scene is looking west down Collins St from Swanston St. The paper boy, selling The Age or The Argus or both, stands within the intersection, eyes trained on the photographer. Horse and buggies, with men in black hats and dark clothing, are seen…

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Many of the buildings we live in had many and varied live before being converted to residential. In this article, CBD resident Steven Myrteza tells of the joy and excitement of discovering the heritage of the building you live in. We were in the middle of a refurbishment of the façade of our building, The…

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Harrington’s Ltd (trading as Harrington Cameras) was a household name throughout Australia in the 1920s. The shop sold cameras, photographic equipment and was a printing, enlarging and framing service. The photo shows Harrington’s Buildings (central and eastern sections) Collins St, north side, between Swanston and Elizabeth streets in about 1920. Above Harrington’s was the…

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Harrington’s Ltd (trading as Harrington Cameras) was a household name throughout Australia in the 1920s. The shop sold cameras, photographic equipment and was a printing, enlarging and framing service. The photo shows Harrington’s Buildings (central and eastern sections) Collins St, north side, between Swanston and Elizabeth streets in about 1920. Above Harrington’s was the…

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John Noone (1820 -1893) arrived in Melbourne in 1856 and established a photographic studio, but was later employed in the Government Survey Office as a photographer. His photographs were acclaimed and he was commissioned by the government to prepare albums for visiting dignitaries. This photograph is one of eight commissioned for presentation to visiting British…

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Little Flinders St (alternatively known as Flinders Lane or “the Lane”), was one of Melbourne’s east-west “little streets” and always had a strong association with the city’s wholesale trade. The Oriental Tea Company established this building in 1877. Here it imported mainly Indian tea and then blended and packed it for sale in grocery shops…